Bag Handler Charged in Theft of New $100 Bills

$20,000 in new bills stolen after flight arrived in Philadelphia from North Texas

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Prosecutors said Alex Price was working Oct. 11 when a US Airways flight arrived from North Texas carrying millions of dollars in the new $100 bill.

Federal authorities in Philadelphia say an airport baggage handler has been charged with stealing $20,000 in a new type of $100 bill never released to the public.

Prosecutors said Alex Price was working Oct. 11 when a US Airways flight arrived from North Texas carrying millions of dollars in the new $100 bill. The theft of $20,000 was reported after the shipment arrived at the Federal Reserve facility in East Rutherford, N.J.

An FBI agent said in court documents that Price, 25, said he was the only handler with direct access to the cash. The FBI said Price confessed and led authorities to the missing money hidden in his car after a polygraph examination Tuesday.

The stolen bills aren't scheduled to be put into circulation until next year, NBC Philadelphia reported. They're very distinctive, with an orange "100" and an orange image that's supposed to be the Liberty Bell.

No listed telephone number for Price could be found Tuesday. It was unclear if he has an attorney.